For the first time in his USC career, senior Josh Shaw experienced the luxury of knowing what position he would play in the offseason. Shaw starts at cornerback and spent the summer playing the position in passing drills.

That is a far cry from the previous two years, when Shaw would think he would play safety, only to switch to cornerback. Or vice versa.

“It’s a big deal,” Shaw said. “I never knew before.”

The past few months were nearly perfect for Shaw, who is expected to lead the Trojans’ secondary. In May, he delivered a commencement address at the USC athletes’ graduation ceremony.

“It was a high honor,” Shaw said.

Two weeks ago, he concluded an internship at the commercial real-estate company CBRE by winning a group project with two other interns.

“It was more gratifying than any accolade I ever received, sports included,” Shaw said. “It showed that I’m more than an athlete. It’s a Fortune 500 company and there were some pretty big dogs listening to our presentation.”

Last week, Shaw was part of a group of nearly 30 USC players and coaches that went to Joshua Tree for a bonding session that involved performing some grueling physical tasks. Shaw said he climbed a mountain with a tire around his neck.

“Everybody who went got something out of it,” Shaw said. “It was awesome.”

O-line under scrutiny

The first-team offensive line features three potential first-time starters with Toa Lobendahn at left guard, Khaliel Rodgers at right guard and Zach Banner at right tackle. Left tackle Chad Wheeler and center Max Tuerk are returning starters.

But the line could look different by the first game. Aundrey Walker, who started last season at left guard, broke his ankle last season and is still limping this week. Interestingly, Sarkisian said Walker was no longer “injured,” perhaps a sign of his dissatisfaction with his slow recovery.

It also remains to be seen whether freshmen like Damien Mama, Viane Talamaivao or Chris Brown can challenge for a starting spot.

“They are all talented, but we need that chemistry,” Sarkisian said.

Based on the first practice, snapping the ball will be a valued talent because the quarterbacks dealt with quite a few errant snaps, also a symptom of spring practices.

Tight end woes

With possible starter Jalen Cope-Fitzgerald academically ineligible, it leaves USC with just two scholarship tight ends (Randall Telfer and Bryce Dixon). Telfer will start if he is healthy, while Dixon is more of a receiver than blocker.

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That means offensive tackle Nathan Guertler will probably spend some time as a blocking tight end. Another option is walk-on Chris Willson, who started one game last season. USC is also caught short-handed because Xavier Grimble turned pro after last season.

Big start for Juju

There is some talk about whether freshman John “Juju” Smith will play offense or defense, but based on the first practice, Smith will be a critical wide receiver for the Trojans. Smith made a nice catch of a deep pass from quarterback Max Browne during Monday’s practice and stood out on several plays. In recent years, wide receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee stood out the first week and played significant roles early in their freshmen seasons.

Braced for trouble

USC’s defensive linemen are required to wear knee braces during practice this season, but will not be forced to wear them during games.

Rough start for frosh

One tradition during training camp is making the freshmen carry around a football known as the “rookie ball.” The ball was already stolen during Day 1 when it was supposed to be kept safe by quarterback Jalen Greene. The punishment was some after-practice pushups for the freshmen.